Brief case



M 31, 1'95: H. ABRAMS 2,562,518

' BRIEF CASE Filed June 20, 1950 ATTORNEYS Patented July 31, 1951 BRIEF cAsE Hyman Abrams, Weehawken, N. J., assignor to Thomases & 00., Jersey City, N. J., a partnersh p Application June20, 1950, Serial N 0. 169,240

This invention relates to brief cases of the so-called looseleaf or ring binder type in which a ring assembly, comprising ring plates rings and a flexible carrier, is removably mounted within a cover. The object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing the flexible carrier to the ring plates, and the assembly to its cover. Hitherto the flexible carrier has been riveted to the plates and the assembly removably mounted within its cover by means of separate snap-fastener'elements, one of each cooperating pair mounted on the flexible carrier, the other on the inside of the cover. In accordance with the present invention I utilize the snap-fastener element on the assembly as the rivet for securing the flexible carrier to the ring plates, the snap-fastener element thus playing a dual role. This construction not only eliminates the rivets (usually two) but eliminates strain on the carrier and is stronger and more satisfactory all around.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention. In these drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the brief case of my invention shown in open position with the ring assembly in place,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the mid-section of the brief case with the ring assembly removed,

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale taken along line l4 of Figure 1 but showing the rivet stud and snap fastener in elevation, and

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the ring assembly drawn on the scale of Figure 1.

The brief case shown in these drawings comprises a cover I of standard construction having the usual inside pockets 2 and provided with a zipper 3 extending around three of the four sides of the cover when closed and serving to hold it closed. Thus the cover, in the absence of the ring assembly, as shown in Figure 2, may serve as a standard brief case of the envelope type, it having no handle. When the ring assembly is mounted within the cover, however, the case may serve as a looseleaf binder having the added advantage that it may be closed by means of the zipper.

I shall now describe the ring assembly. This comprises a transversely curved, ring cover plate t having downwardly and inwardly turned flanges 5 which embrace the outer edges of a 4 Claims. (01. zen-19) pair of toggle plates 6 to which thearcuate,

abuttable sections of rings! are flxed. Triggers 8 mounted at the ends of the plates serve their usual function of breaking the toggle to open the rings for the insertion or removal of loose leaves.

It is customary to provide looseleaf binders of the ring type with protectors extending along either edge of the plate and between the rings and the cover. The function of these protectors is to prevent the rings from pressing into the covers and to add a certain solidity to the binder. In my brief case these protectors take the form of a flexible carrier, made of leather or some substitute material, which underlies the ring plates and extends upwardly and outwardly, flanking the rings. Such a flexible carrier is indicated in the drawings at 9.

Extending through and secured to the cover plate 4, near either end, are rivet studs H! which extend through openings H in the toggle plates and through appropriate openings in the flexible carrier, each terminating in a female element I2 of a snap fastener. A disk I3 is fixed to each stud I0 on the upper side of the carrier, as shown in Figure 4, and this, with the element [2, secures the carrier to the ring plates. These plates with their rings, studs, flexible carrier and snapfastener elements constitute a unit which I have called the ring assembly.

Secured to and extending upwardly from the inner face of the cover at its middle and spaced apart the distance of the studs I0, are two male snap-fastener elements l4. These are designed to snap within the corresponding elements 12 on the ring assembly where they are held in place by the usual springs, not shown.

Thus the elements l2 of the snap-fasteners serve not only their primary function as snapfastener elements, but also double as rivets for securing the carrier 9 to the ring plates. This construction has important advantages over the older constructions in which the snap-fastener elements were secured directly to the flexible carrier, as a result of which the strain involved in removing the ring assembly was borne wholly by the flexible carrier which was, therefore, likely to be torn or distorted. With my construction the flexible carrier is not subject to any strain whatever, the strain being taken up directly by the studs l0 and the cover plate 4.

I claim:

1. A ring assembly for a ring binder comprising a cover plate, toggle plates within the cover plate, pairs of arcuate abuttable ring sections mounted on the toggle plates, a flexible carrier for the plates and rings, studs secured to the cover plate and extending through the toggle plates and the flexible carrier, and a snap fastener element on each stud securing the flexible carrier to the plates.

2. A ring binder comprising a cover, ring plates with rings, a flexible carrier for the plates and rings, cooperating snap-fastener elements on the ring plates and the cover removably mounting the ring plates within the cover, the snap-tastener element on the ring plates securing: the flexible carrier to the plates. 7

3. A brief case of the ring binder type comprising a cover, a cover plate, toggle plates within the cover plate, pairs of arcuate, abuttable ring sections mounted on the toggle plates; a flexible carrier for the plates and rings, studs secured to the cover plate and extending through the toggle plates and the flexible carrier, a snap-fastener element on each stud securing the flexible carrier to the plates, and cooperating snap-fastener elements on the cover whereby the ring'plates, rings and flexible carrier are removably mounted within the cover. r

4. A brief case or the ring binder type comprising a cover, a zipper for holding the cover closed, a ring cover plate, toggle plates within the cover plate, pairs of arcuate abuttable ring sections mounted on the toggle plates, a flexible carrier for the plates and rings, rivet studs secured to the cover plate andextending through the toggle plates and the flexible carrier, a snapfastener element on the inner end of each stud securing the flexible carrier to the plates, and cooperating snap-fastener elements on the cover whereby the ring plates, rings and flexible carrier are removably mounted within the cover.

'- HYMAN ABRAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Berlin Mar. 28, 1950 

